The insolubility of dimolybdenum tetra acetate in water or organic solvents makes its highly unsaturated metal-metal bond virtually useless in promoting chemical reactions with organic substrates. The chemistry of a related compound, dimolybdenum trifluoro-tetraacetate, which is soluble in organic solvents has been studied in relation to the highly unsaturated metal-metal bond.
The newly formed organo-metallic complex of this invention is useful in metathesis reactions, as well as for the oligomerization of alkenes or alkynes. An example of the metathesis reaction known in the literature is the reaction of the unsaturated molybdenum-molybdenum triple bond with an alkyne EQU Mo.tbd.Mo+RC.tbd.CR.fwdarw.2Mo.tbd.CR
The more unsaturated molybdenum-molybdenum quadruple bond produced by this invention will produce more advantageous reactions ##STR1##
One object of this invention is to provide a new, more reactive material for carrying out metathesis related, coupling, and oligomerization reactions.